Tiltable wash, rinse, and dish rack tracks assembly for a dishwasher



June 30, 1964 A. w. HAAS 3,139,095

TILTABLE WASH, RINSE, AND DISH RACK TRACKS ASSEMBLY FOR A DISHWASHER Original Filed June 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2

INVENTOR. ARTHUR W. HAAS WASHING SOLUTION AT T0 RN EYS w. HAAS 3,139,095 RINSE, AND DISH RACK TRACKS ASSEMBLY FOR A DISHWASHER Original Filed June 20,1962

June 30, 1964 TILTABLE WASH,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5

INVENTOR.

ARTHUR W. HAAS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,139,095 TILTABLE WASH, RINSE, AND DISH RACK TRACKS ASSEMBLY FOR A DISHWASHER Arthur W. Haas, Rochester, N.Y., assiguor to Toledo Scale Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 13, 1963, Ser. No. 281,381 2 Claims. (Cl. 134-99) This invention relates to dishwashing machines and more particularly to a tiltable wash, rinse and dish rack tracks assembly for such machines.

Heretofore, the lower wash and rinse assemblies in some dishwashing machines have been tiltably supported so as to facilitate the removal of scrap screens located below the assemblies as disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,722,227 issued on November 1, 1955 to L. C. Lot and A. W. Haas. However, the dish rack tracks or rails in such prior machines have not been so tiltably supported. The non-tiltable dish rack tracks or rails get in the way when refuse loaded scrap screens, which are located below the tracks or rails, are removed from the dishwashing machines.

Accordingly, the objects of this invention are to provide tiltable wash, rinse and dish rack tracks assemblies for dishwashing machines, to simplify the constructions of such assemblies and to improve dish rack tracks or rails for such machines.

One embodiment of this invention enabling the realization of these objects is a unit assembly which includes a rotatably mounted wash manifold carrying a remotely spaced mounting channel and a rinse water pipe, the channel and the pipe being parallel to the manifold. The mounting channel functions as a support for the ends of rinse and wash spray tubes communicating with the rinse water pipe and the manifold, respectively. Track channels connect the mounting *channel to the wash manifold, the track channels forming opposite sides of a rectangularly shaped rigid frame having its other sides formed by the mounting channel and the wash manifold. Upper, horizontal surfaces of the track channels function as supports for dish racks.

In accordance with the above, one feature of this invention resides in providing wash, rinse and dish rack tracks means rotatable as one to facilitate the removal of scrap screens from the dashwashing machine.

Another feature resides in the superior simplicity of the unit assembly, the mounting channel and the wash manifold functioning as supports for the wash and rinse spray tubes and for the track channels, and the track channels functioning to connect the mounting channel to the wash manifold and also as a support for the dish racks.

The above and other objects and features of this invention will be appreciated more fully from the following detailed description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a dishwashing machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior of the machine shown in FIG. 1 showing the improved Wash, rinse and dish rack tracks assembly;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view as seen from a position to the left of the device as shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, a dishwashing machine embodying the invention includes a frame having a washing and rinsing space enclosed by a vertically movable three-sided door 11. The frame 10 encloses a tank con- 3,139,095 Patented June 30, 1964 taining washing solution which is sprayed onto dishes placed in the washing and rinsing space above the tank through slotted wash spray tubes 13. The washing solution from the tank returns to a pump 14 which forces the washing solution through the spray tubes. A plurality of the spray tubes 13 are provided at both the bottom and the top of the Washing and rinsing space, only the lower set of spray tubes 13 being shown. Additional rinse spray tubes 15 are provided above and below the washing and rinsing space to supply hot n'nse liquid from a fresh water supply directly onto the dishes for rinsing and sterilizing the dishes, only the lower set of spray tubes 15 being shown. Control of the rinsing operation is accomplished by an electrically-operated solenoid valve 16. Operation of the washing and rinsing devices is effected by pushing a wash button 17 and a rinse button 18 mounted on a control box 19 located at the right side of the frame 10. V

The tiltable wash, rinse and dish rack tracks assembly includes a rotatable wash manifold 20 which is like and which is mounted like the wash manifold disclosed, in US. application Serial No. 201,439 filed June 11, 1962 in the name of A. W. Haas. The wash manifold is mounted to tilt about its longitudinal axis to facilitate the removal of scrap screens and is supplied with washing solution and rinse liquid as indicated in FIG. 2. The wash spray tubes 13 are attached to the wash manifold 20 as disclosed in such patent application, are positioned transversely thereto, and communicate with one of two chambers in the wash manifold which is supplied with the washing solution. Stationarily mounted stops 21, only one of which is shown, help to support the rotatably mounted assembly in its horizontal operative position. A rinse liquid pipe 22 is carried by the wash manifold 20 underneath and parallel to the wash manifold, the pipe 22 being attached at its closed end to a bracket 23 depending from the wash manifold 20 and communicating with one of two chambers in the wash manifold which is supplied with the rinse liquid. The rinse spray tubes 15 are attached to the rinse liquid pipe 22 as disclosed in the above patent application, are positioned transversely thereto, and communicate therewith. The rinse liquid is emitted through rinse nozzles 24 on the rinse spray tubes 15.

A pair of track channels 25 connects a mounting channel 26 to the wash manifold 20, the track channels 25 forming opposite sides of a rectangularly shaped rigid frame having its other sides formed by the mounting channel 26 and the wash manifold 20. The mounting channel 26 functions to support the ends of the tubes 13 and 15 which are remote from the manifold 20 as disclosed in the above patent application, readily releaseable means 27 connecting the wash spray tubes 13 to the mounting channel 26 and nuts and bolts 28 connecting the rinse spray tubes 15 to the mounting channel 26.

Each of the track channels 25 is shaped as shown in FIG. 4 and is so located with an upper horizontal surface 29 well above the rest of the assembly that such surface is able to function as a rail for supporting dish racks in the dishwashing machine above the spray tubes 13 and 15. A down-turned lip 30 on each of the channels 25 carries an angle 31 so shaped and arranged as to provide a vertical surface 32 acting as a side guide for a dish rack supported on the rail surface 29, i.e., the combination of the track channels 25 and the angles 31 provide dish rack tracks or rails one at the front. and one at the rear of the dishwashing machine. Bolts and nuts 33 connect the channel lips 33 to the angles 31. An extension or tongue 34 extending from each end of each of the track channels 25 is welded one to the channel 26 and one to the wash manifold 20 to make the rigid frame greases stronger, i.e., the rectangular frame consisting of the track channels 25, the manifold 20 and the mounting channel 26, and which function as ramps to guide the racks onto the rails. Each of the left hand ends of the tracks or rails as viewed in FIG. 3 is provided with a stop 35 which is attached to its respective tongue 34 by means of a nut and bolt 36.

During operation, when the three-sided door 11 is open, dish racks are slid from the right as viewed in FIG. 1 along the tracks or rails, i.e., on the upper, hori- Zontal channel surfaces 29, until such racks engage the stops 35. This accurately locates the racks in operative positions in the machine. Alternatively, dish racks can be slid into the machine from the left along the tracks or rails. In such case, the dish racks are pushed an increment beyond the stops 35 and then returned until the stops 35 are engaged.

One of the features of the wash, rinse and dish rack tracks assembly resides in making the entire assembly tiltable to facilitate the removal of scrap screens or perforated trays. Such screens or trays are shown in the above US. application Serial No. 201,439. No known dishwashing machine has dish rack tracks or rails which can be rotated out of the way when refuse loaded scrap screens are removed.

Another feature resides in the superior simplicity of the wash, rinse and dish rack tracks assembly, the mounting channel 26 and the wash manifold 20 functioning as supports for the wash and rinse spray tubes and also for the track channels 25, and the track channels 25 functioning to connect the mounting channel to the wash manifold and also as a support for the dish racks.

During the Washing operation, refuse is cleaned from V plication Serial No. 203,804 filed June 20, 1962 in the name of Arthur W. Haas and now abandoned.

Various modifications and changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a dishwashing machine, a rotatable Wash, rinse and dish rack rails assembly comprising, in combination, a wash manifold mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, a rinse pipe carried by the manifold underneath and parallel to the manifold, a mounting member, dish rack track'assemblies connecting the manifold to the mounting member, each track assembly including a track member extending between the manifold and the mounting member and having a leg with a horizontal surface functioning as a rail for supporting dish racks, the legs being extended at their ends to form an extension at each of the ends of the legs, one of the extensions on each of the track members sloping downwardly to engage the manifold and the other track member extensions sloping downwardly to engage the mounting member, the track member extensions being connected to the respective manifold and mounting member to increase the strength of the assembly and functioning as ramps to guide the racks onto the horizontal surfaces of the legs, and a plurality of wash and rinse spray tubes communicating with the washmanifold and the rinse pipe, respectively, and supported at their ends remote from the manifold by the mounting member.

2. In a dishwashing machine according to claim 1 wherein the track member legs have down-turned lips extending along their horizontal surfaces and an angle is carried by each of the lips providing side guides for a dish rack supported on the said horizontal surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 803,097 DeLaney Oct. 31, 1905 2,051,233 Webb Aug. 18, 1936 2,722,227 Lot et al. Nov. 1, 1955 

1. IN A DISHWASHING MACHINE, A ROTATABLE WASH, RINSE AND DISH RACK RAILS ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A WASH MANIFOLD MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, A RINSE PIPE CARRIED BY THE MANIFOLD UNDERNEATH AND PARALLEL TO THE MANIFOLD, A MOUNTING MEMBER, DISH RACK TRACK ASSEMBLIES CONNECTING THE MANIFOLD TO THE MOUNTING MEMBER, EACH TRACK ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A TRACK MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE MANIFOLD AND THE MOUNTING MEMBER AND HAVING A LEG WITH A HORIZONTAL SURFACE FUNCTIONING AS A RAIL FOR SUPPORTING DISH RACKS, THE LEGS BEING EXTENDED AT THEIR ENDS TO FORM AN EXTENSION AT EACH OF THE ENDS OF THE LEGS, ONE OF THE EXTENSIONS ON EACH OF THE TRACK MEMBERS SLOPING DOWNWARDLY TO ENGAGE THE MANIFOLD AND THE OTHER TRACK MEMBER EXTENSIONS SLOPING DOWNWARDLY TO ENGAGE THE MOUNTING MEMBER, THE TRACK MEMBER EXTENSIONS BEING CONNECTED TO THE RESPECTIVE MANIFOLD AND MOUNTING MEMBER TO INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF THE ASSEMBLY AND FUNCTIONING AS RAMPS TO GUIDE THE RACKS ONTO THE HORIZONTAL SURFACES OF THE LEGS, AND A PLURALITY OF WASH AND RINSE SPRAY TUBES COMMUNICATING WITH THE WASH MANIFOLD AND THE RINSE PIPE, RESPECTIVELY, AND SUPPORTED AT THEIR ENDS REMOTE FROM THE MANIFOLD BY THE MOUNTING MEMBER. 